Exploration 11 - Larissa

"We understand their call, that we devote what remains of our lives to the use of our country's unique and painful experience to demonstrate, in practice, that the normal condition for human existence is democracy, justice, peace, non-racism, non-sexism, prosperity for everybody, a healthy environment and equality and solidarity among the peoples." -Nelson Mandela

This passage is important to me because it explains a utopian society that every country and every citizen within that country wishes to be part of.

-Nelson Mandela has a law degree from the College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand.
-Frederik Willem de Klerk has two sons and a daughter with his wife, Marike.
-Aung San Suy Kyi's country is not known as Burma anymore, it is now called Myanmar.

-http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-bio.html
-http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/klerk-bio.html
-http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/myanmar/index.html


The Dalai Lama was the traditional governmental ruler and highest priest of Buddhism in Tibet and Mongolia. The man represents a reincarnation of a series of spiritual leaders. The Dalai Lama that the essay was on was the fourteenth holder of this office. He tried to tell the country that the next Dalai Lama might be found outside of Tibet and might also be a woman. The government officials were upset by his statement and said that only they could truly assign the next Dalai Lama.
I think its silly that the government was mad about this statement. If this character is supposed to be spiritual then the spirits would choose the next Dalai Lama. If it would have happened to be a woman then the citizens should still follow it either way because it would be hypocritical of their religion not to, including the government officials.

Every picture I came upon of the Dalai Lama, he looked very happy and peaceful. I was glad to see that this is his normal composure because I think these are the kind of everyday outlooks and emotions his followers expect and look up to.